1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a wiring harness subassembly having both crimp-type terminals and press-fit-type terminals. Further, the invention relates to equipment for implementation of the manufacturing method, which includes a press-fitting unit, a connector retaining bar holding connectors in parallel, and a press-fitting apparatus with the connector retaining bar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 18 to 22 show a known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using crimped terminals.
In the method, the first step is cutting an electrical wire 14 into desired lengths. Next, each end 14a or 14b of the wire 14 is stripped off to expose a conductor 14c (stages 101, 102 in FIG. 18) as illustrated in FIG. 19. Then, the conductor 14c is crimped to a terminal 12 for connection (stage 103 in FIG. 18) as illustrated in FIG. 20. And, after correct arrangement (stage 104 in FIG. 18) of the wire 4 with the terminal, a chuck 109 holds the wire 14 near the end 14a. Further, the terminal equipped wires are sequentially forced into clips 111 formed in a wire retaining bar 110 (stage 105 in FIG. 18) as illustrated in FIG. 21. Finally, with picking up an end portion of the wire 14 from the clip 111, a chuck 112 inserts the terminal into a connector housing 13 (stage 106 in FIG. 18) as illustrated in FIG. 22. Thence, these steps complete a wiring harness subassembly (stage 107 in FIG. 18).
Meanwhile, FIGS. 23 to 24 show another known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using a press-fit terminal 10. In the method, a wire 14 having been cut into a desired length, without stripping off each end thereof, is forced to enter into a press-fit terminal 10 disposed in a connector housing 11a by a vertically moving blade 32 (stages 113 and 114). The application of these steps to plural connector 11 competes a wiring harness subassembly (stage 115 in FIG. 23).
The connector 11 has press-fit terminals 10 disposed in upper and lower open compartments 116 formed between partitions in its connector housing 11a made of a synthetic resin (a double-sided press-fitting terminal connector). After the wires have been press-fitted, the closure of a cover plate 117 protects the press-fitted terminals.
However, in the known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using crimp terminals 12 is produced separately from a wiring harness utilizing press-fit terminals 10. This has not been able to efficiently produce various types of wiring harnesses including both the crimp terminals 12 and the press-fit terminals 10.
In view of the foregoing disadvantage, an object of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method of a wiring harness using both crimp terminals and press-fit terminals and to obtain means for the same, which includes a press--fitting apparatus.